Beginning of the End
by Bunch-o-Nuts
Summary: The Message was far from the end of our beloved Ronin Warriors. A whole new playing field is opened to them where they must battle again, for it is the Beginning of the End...AUHOPEFULLY no Romance, new armor bearers, and some mind-fun...I hope...
1. The Prophecy

Hey, I hope you like this story but do keep in mind that it is in no way related to my other story, Play a Little Longer. I hope to get that updated soon, but I had just watched, "The Message" and was struck with this idea…a way to continue it, if you will. It's only supposed to be a one-shot, but if I get enough fans, I MIGHT consider expanding it…

Also, if I expand this story, the READERS will be a major help to it. Tell me any and all ideas that you have and who knows, you might see it incorporated into it!

Beginnings and Endings 

Months had past since their last battle, a battle with a young woman who had gifted them with new powers and new armors. They were well equipped for a battle they sincerely hoped would never come to pass.

However, that was not to be. Four months had passed now and scars had faded, energy was replaced, and understanding of the new armors had made them strong. That hadn't made them strong enough.

New demons had invaded their dreams and before long, invaded their realm. Too late did they realize that the Youja-kai had fallen, as well as all the Mashos. They had no idea where Kayura had fled and it was clear she had fled since no remains that could be hers were found. So they entered the battle blind, not knowing what they were facing…or what would come from their first battle of this new war.

All had gone well at first. Their first demon was about to fall, it HAD been dying, it SHOULD have died. But then it did something no one expected. It possessed Cye, slowly killing the bearer of Torrent as it healed itself…

Then Cye had gotten better…that was because Sage had healed him. Pleased with its new abilities, the demon continued to reside in Torrent's body, wreaking havoc that very day as it pronounced another battle…to the death.

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"It ends now." Ryo whispered, his throat hurting with the minimal effort it took. This demon was strong, too strong…they had barely been able to wear it down enough to almost kill it the first time, each of them going hoarse from shouting their attacks so often. Then it had possessed Cye, but they hadn't known until Cye had been healed. Now it seemed like they would truly die.

Ryo put the hilts of his twin Fervor Swords together, his hands shaking with the process. He hid a cough as he took a step forward, summoning the last of his strength. Cye just stared at him, the demon that controlled his movements amused at Ryo's last attempt.

"Ryo, no!" Sage yelled from behind, sensing the energy that would go into the attack. Sage was the most perceptive of the group; he knew that Ryo would die if this attack was launched…and that even the demon, while residing in Cye's body, might die. That meant that Cye would die too. But Sage could barely stand, let alone continue the battle…he was so tired…

Rowen, having heard the distress in Sage's voice, focused his swirling vision, trying to find out what might have caused the blond to shout in fear. Kento lay near the building, having never moved since the demon had last hurled him into that building. He saw also how tired Cye was, that the demon had overused Torrent's ability…then he also felt the last summoning of energy and turned his swirling vision to his leader and friend, to see Ryo leap into the air and summon his sure-kill…

"Flare…Up…Now!" Ryo yelled with as much conviction as when he had started. He brought the swords down on Cye with enough force to shatter the skull. And indeed, that is what it seemed to have down, for Cye crumpled under the attack…only to reveal that his trident had been up and ready. It had impaled Ryo as he landed; it would kill him, or at least seriously injure Ryo for the attack he chose to deliver…if he had not died already with the energy he expended.

A moment after Cye's link vanished like Kento's, Ryo pitched forward. Shortly afterwards, the link that had connected the four other warriors to Ryo vanished as if fire had eaten it away, leaving only Ryo's shell of a body as a last testament to the great leader he had been.

A dark shape seeped away from the crumpled form of Cye, probably for the last minute that his heart still beat, his lungs still pulled in air, and the last thought crossed his mind. It formed into the abysmal shape of the demon that had struck each down and now it turned its greedy glare to Rowen.

Rowen saw it through his foggy vision and raised his bow to protect himself. At all costs, there should be no more death today…he had to keep the demon at bay.

The demon smiled cruelly and licked its sharp, pointed teeth that were permanently stained red from the blood of its victims.

"You will die next, Strata…then Halo and the Mortal Realm shall be mine for the taking." It advanced one step, and then stopped. "But I shall let you shiver in fear while you bury your brothers-in-arms…though that task may prove too difficult…" His voice was growing muffled; it was becoming so hard to distinguish his voice among the roaring in his ears. Rowen felt himself pitch forward as he lost his connection with this world and slipped into darkness.  
  


The last thing he heard came from a different voice, a gentler one that offered comfort. "Oh, Rowen…you used too much energy…just like Ryo…"

Sage held the blue haired boy close to his chest, crying for his four lost brothers. He couldn't believe it, he was all alone in the world now…they were dead, and he was left behind.

The last link that he had shared with Rowen brushed away like wind kissing a feather, blowing it into the wind. With tears in his eyes, he looked up at the demon that only laughed at him and vanished.

"Damn it all!" Sage yelled, slamming a fist into the road. He was angry now, yes, but he also knew that the hurt would be unbearable when the anger finally fled…

He heard a soft sound, like a glass marble falling to the ground and looked down at Rowen once again. The armor of Strata was gone, concealed in its tiny orb by Sage's foot. Sage cupped the last remnant of what had been Hashiba, Rowen close to him and pocketed it; he then knelt down and picked up Rowen's shell of a body. He would carry it over to his other friends…Mia would be here soon and a proper funeral could then continue on her property.

When Sage reached his friends, he went about the task of collecting their kanji orbs, adding his last to the small collection he had. Absorbing the slight warmth four of them still had, he looked around the ruined town square, trying to find a place to put them until new people could claim the heritage of the Yoridon Armor…and he was glad to give up the curse that was silently attached to the armor.

Seeing a statue of a heifer standing at the entrance of the library, he decided it was as good a place as any other. He approached it and was slightly struck to realize he had seen it before…in the morning paper actually. It was an ancient Greek artifact, supposedly that of Io, a maiden who Zeus had loved. To curse her for this fact, Io had been changed into a heifer and pursued for a long time, tortured by Hera. Sage smiled sadly, knowing that he had obtained this knowledge only from Rowen.

Bending down, he slipped the five yoroi between the heifer's front hooves, saying his last mental goodbye to the friends he had known since he was fourteen…six years of memories that would soon be buried with the shells of those who had died today.

Sage slowly stood, forcing the dizziness away from his mind. He had to accomplish this…he couldn't die yet, even though every step was taking up more of the little precious energy he had retained.

Suddenly, alarm bells rang in his mind…something was terribly wrong…someone was behind him…they would attack! It couldn't be that demon again, he had promised to wait… 'But when has a demon kept its promise before?' Sage questioned himself as he slowly turned around to face his certain doom. The only comforting thought he had at this was the fact that he would be with his friends sooner than he thought.

However, when Sage turned around, he was surprised at what he saw. Nothing was out of place, there was no enemy awaiting him…just the heifer, with a slight glint beneath its front hooves that was none other than the five yoroi.

Sage slowly turned, determined to finish the task that was needed…the burial of his friends. As he turned, though, he caught a flash of movement. Immediately stopping and looking at his surroundings again, he could find nothing out of place…but wait, wasn't the heifer facing the southwest, not the southeast?  
  


Sage examined the scene for a while longer before shaking away the encroaching blackness on his vision once again. He was exhausted from the battle; exhausted to the point that once his task with his friends was done…he would probably die in his sleep. He knew it was depressing, but he also knew that this lack of energy could cause serious hallucinations…such as a marble cow "switching" directions on him.

He turned back towards his friends and smiled in relief to see a familiar van driving up. Sage could just barely see the driver, a woman in her late-twenties with long brown hair that was flying out behind her with the speed at which she was driving.

_So close…Just a little longer and then I can sleep_. Sage thought to himself, his vision blurring on him just at that thought. As he was distracted though, he ignored the footfalls of a creature approaching him from behind. However, when the sound was directly behind him by the sound that it was becoming clearer and closer, he turned, and gasped in shock.

A heifer stood behind him, looking up at him with doleful eyes. It had golden tipped horns and slowly chewed its cud.

Where did this come from? Sage thought, confusion displayed widely across his face. That was nothing compared to the shock when the heifer, which was obviously as real as life, slowly shifted.

The brown and white hair on it receded until there was only long, chestnut hair on the figure's head. Pale skin formed and the heifer stood up on its hind legs, forming into shapely legs and a well-defined torso. Finally, a sheer white toga fell into place, covering her body slightly from prying eyes. She blinked slowly and then looked up at him with the same doleful eyes.

"You…you…" Sage stuttered, completely at a loss.

The young female just nodded, a tear squeezing out from the corners of her eyes. Her right hand tightened on something and Sage looked down to find out what the object was.

It was a short but lethal dagger with a gold handle similar to that of the horns that he knew had once rested upon her head.

"I am sorry." The woman finally said softly as she loosened her grip only slightly on the dagger. At first, Sage thought she was apologizing or feeling sympathy for the loss of his friends…but then when he saw her raise the dagger at him with a determined glint in her eye, he knew what she meant. She had meant to kill him.

"Who are you?" Sage rasped out, his throat closing down on his air supply even as he strained his hearing for Mia's jeep. For the thing that had once seemed so close, his hearing told him it was far away…or could it be that the roaring in his ears deceived him, making her seem further away then she really was?

"I am Io, a Greek maiden. I was brought through time to bring a message from the gods of Ancient times." Io paused, giving Sage a chance to let the words sink in.

The only thing he could think of, however, was how nuts this young maiden might be. The Greek gods had never existed…they were created by the people of ancient times to give name and face to the mysterious powers of the universe.

The Greek maiden, Io, obviously didn't think she was crazy for she raised the dagger again and before Sage could protest…plunged it into his side.

Sage gave a gasp of surprise as his mouth fell open and his hands flew to the wound. Without his armor, the blade had easily sunk in and the blood was seeping through his hands. It stained his shirt that he had been wearing and ran down his hands and still, all Sage could do was stare at the maiden before him. Io had cold, relentless eyes as she watched him slowly lose the last toehold he had in this world.

Slowly, his knees gave out on him and he sunk to the ground with a moan. Still, his eyes were locked upon Io and he opened his mouth for one final thing. "Wuh-why?"

She stared at him, her eyes softening only slightly. However, he continued to hold her gaze and she soon broke, kneeling beside him and placing a hand to the wound that wouldn't close, not in this lifetime.

"I'm so sorry, but it must be done…you must realize true power now. Don't worry, the pain won't last much longer…"

Slowly and gently, she helped lower Sage to the ground, closing his eyes with a delicate touch of her hand. His breathing slowed and soon, she felt him pass away from his body. _Now_, she thought, _I have to act quickly now, before the spirit world call becomes too great!_

Quickly but gently still, she lifted Sage's body and brought him over to the others. She placed them all in a line on the ground then stood at their feet as she recited the message she was forced to memorize. As she recited, her hands rose from her side and a yellow light was emitted from them.

_Demons rise to the North_

_Magic sails in from the South_

Careful, you're being surrounded!  
To fight, you first must die…

The light spread from her fingers and surrounded the five warriors. It forced their bodies to stand and by the raising of the hair on her neck, she knew she had also called their five spirits back from the spirit world call. They surrounded her, asking her what she was doing, why did they need to return? "Listen to the poems, my heartlings." She whispered between the verses of the poem, her teeth clenched as wave after wave of magic assaulted her.

_The end of the beginning_

_The beginning of the end_

_To fight your next demon,_

_You must be born again._

"The gift of the gods from all the ages, past, present and future have been bestowed upon you, Ronin Warriors! Accept it and finish your last task!"

Then the world went black.

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Sage gasped and sat bolt upright in bed, his chest heaving and his head spinning.

_Where am I? Where am I?_ He thought frantically, his eyes scanning the familiar settings quickly before finally coming to rest.

He heaved a sigh of relief, recognizing the room in which he was in…it was the room Mia had let him have, the one he shared with Rowen and right next door would be his other friends…

'Rowen.' Sage thought suddenly, remembering the vivid dream. It was still so clear, the fact that they had been utterly beaten by a demon that had only promised to come back and finish the job…it had been so clear, watching his friends die and holding Rowen in his arms as he too, faded…

Sage pulled back the covers on his bed and walked back over to the bed across from him, knowing by instincts other than sight that this was where Rowen's bed had to be. He reached the bed and stretched out his arms, searching for the blue-haired warrior that he knew would have slept through anything, including a few whimpers he might have made during the nightmare.

However, his hands greeted nothing; the bed was messed up as if someone had recently slept in it, but no Rowen was there.

Panicking slightly as he remembered his dream, Sage quickly went to the door and yanked it open, ignoring it as it squeaked. _Have to get it oiled_…he dismissed it and quickly walked to the next room where Ryo, Kento and Cye would be sleeping…if this dreamland wasn't becoming a nightmare.

However, when the door opened, four heads snapped up as one and looked at him. A soft smile graced each face and Sage could see that they were all troubled about something, but he dismissed it.

"Oh, thank god." Sage said softly, leaning heavily on the doorframe. The others didn't comment…in fact, they seemed to be relieved to see him as well. "You would not believe the dream I just had…" Sage started in an attempt to break the ugly silence growing between them. He was about to explain it in its entirety when Cye's shaky voice interrupted him.

"You mean a dream where all of us died in facing a demon?" Cye's voice was whispered compared to the quiet of the room but it struck a note of fear in Sage and he shivered. Slowly, he nodded agreement. Cye took a deep breath then locked eyes with the warrior of Halo. "We all had the same dream…and to tell the truth, we really don't think it was a dream after all."

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So, what did you think? Is that a big enough cliffhanger to get some reviews? I sure hope so! Don't be afraid, just click on the little button below that says "Submit Review". I take flames and fans, signed and anonymous, just PLEASE tell me if you like it or not!


	2. Questionaire

Author's Note - The Beginning of the End  
  
Okay, so what happens now? I had really wanted you all to help me with it, but I guess I'll voice a few questions that I can't decide on. Just give me the answer, k?  
  
#1 Should this be a crossover? If so, with what Anime?  
  
A) Gundam Wing  
  
B) Sailor Moon  
  
C) Combine it with the Ancient Gods again!  
  
D) Something else....(please state what)  
  
E) NO CROSSOVER!!  
  
#2 The demon made a comment that he would come back for Halo. Should this be for his:  
  
A) Power  
  
B) Purity  
  
C) For Sage (along the lines of rape)  
  
D) Something else (please state)  
  
E) Ignore the line  
  
#3 I came across a story line that had the reader as a main character, putting the story in your perspective. Does this sound like a good idea to emulate?  
  
A) Hell yeah!  
  
B) Maybe  
  
C) NO!  
  
D) Change it a little (to what?)  
  
#4 Should this take place in:  
  
A) The Future  
  
B) The Past  
  
C) The Present (nobody knows the Ronins anymore, not even Mia)  
  
D) The Present (the dream just shows what is to happen)  
  
#5 Any additional comments that you want to make on the storyline? It would be greatly appreciated!  
  
I hope to accomadate all that you, the reader, want to see occur in this story. However, if I will be taking majority vote on this. Meaning, if you don't vote, you might get what you don't want! Please help out! 


	3. What Happened? Let me explain

Hey, there will be a short introduction that will hopefully answer several of your questions first. Also, before that, I am going to tally up the results so that you can find out what this story will go off of from now on. That way, if you don't agree, you can flame me and then refuse to read the story. However, I do hope you still enjoy what I wrote, okay?

Here's the tally:

**For question number 1**: There shall be no crossover

**For question number 2**: Something will happen to Sage (and maybe the other Ronins as well??), and the Demon from before shall return. However, rest easy, it shall not be rape. You all were pretty unanimous in that one

**For question number 3**: It will not be written in the reader's perspective at all

**For question number 4**: This question posed a lot of problems. By the future, I meant to transport them even further into the future then they were. The past would make them 14 again. The present without someone knowing them would be as if they had died and now they had to find their armors again. The present where the first chapter would act as a dream…well, that's pretty self-explanatory, I hope. **PLEASE VOTE AGAIN!!**

**For question number 5**: There were questions about what did happen to the warlords and what world the new demon came from. Since question 4 was not answered properly in the questionnaire, I decided that I could make up a quick chapter to solve the questions. Sound good? Be sure to ask ANYTHING else that you don't understand, okay?? I really want to make this story a winner, but I still need help from my readers to do so.

I hope that this short chapter can explain the story to you. Enjoy!!!

Beginnings and Endings 

In the beginning of the universe, there were three realms: the Nigenkai, the Youja-kai and the Ge-kai.

The Nigenkai is home to the bearers with the least amount of magic. Humans inhabited this world, making it their own even without magic by advancing their mathematics and science far beyond that of the Youja-kai and the Ge-kai. Humans are considered on the lower end of the food chain in this system of three worlds, with only considerate half-breeds such as the Ancient able to prevent the total annihilation of the planet.

 The Youja-kai is the "between" world. It has been known to house both humans and the gentlest of demons. However, sometimes, there will be a strong demon, such as Talpa himself, who overthrows the democracy that struggles to exist on the Youja-kai.

Finally, there is the world known as Ge-kai. This world is inhabited by demons and has magic that is so strong, no human can withstand it…that is, not unless they have some special protection first. Demons are constantly fighting on this planet, ripping it to shreds from the inside out with their constant bickering about which one should rule the planet next. When it gets extremely strong, the effects can be felt even in the world of the Youja-kai, and only when a civil war breaks out that might tear Ge-kai to shreds are the effects be seen on Nigenkai. This event has only happened twice so far in the remembered history of the Nigenkai, and that would be during both World Wars, when all of the Nigenkai was thrown into a state of chaos. Other minor disturbances that were felt from Ge-kai resulted only in short, minor wars or in one person doing his or her best to spread chaos.

These effects often result in a war where one mistake is made. The person who committed that mistake often has either special abilities or has some demon blood flowing through their body. The effects will be felt by that specific person and then, in a burst of uncontrolled anger, will be helpless to stop what next occurs at his or her hands.

Some examples of these problems would be people like Hitler, Charles Manson, Nixon, and many others. Some of them have a lesser degree of effect then others and therefore do not bring about war, but perhaps unrest instead. Hitler, who had a quarter of demon blood in him at the time that World War Two occurred, is celebrated throughout the Ge-kai as being the most influential half-breed known to the demons.

It was from the world of the Ge-kai that the demon known as Taizanmeidou, or Kain for short, came from. He came shortly after losing a battle to his brother, Uchai, which determined the new ruler of the Ge-kai. When Kain lost, he figured he would take advantage of the stress caused by their fight and exert his dominance in the Youja-kai and then later in the Nigenkai.

This is the story of what happened BEFORE Kain attacked the Ronins…

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Kayura shivered at the intense cold that had broken her from peaceful slumber. This was no normal cold…some devil created this cold…

"Kayura…" A voice whispered in the dark and Kayura felt a shiver wrack her body again. "Kayura…I know where you are…Talpa would be displeased if he knew of the treachery you put him through…therefore, I shall take vengeance for his death…"

"Wh-who are you??" Kayura asked the darkness, clutching her blankets tighter to her chest. She couldn't see anything past the edge of her bed, but her senses told her a demon was near. Slowly, she extended her hand down to the base of her bed, calling with all of her power for the staff of the Ancient to protect her…

Darkness crept out from under her bed, a darkness that made the lack of light in her room seem powerless and weak. It melded into the shape of a hand and grabbed at her, grabbing her by the hair and flipping her onto the ground. She groaned and coughed in pain, but did nothing else to stop the assault.

"Kayura…you should know there is nothing you can do stop me. Give up…" The voice continued, the black hand tightening its grip around her hair. Another hand melded from the air in front of her and grazed her cheek. She gasped as she felt warm blood trickling down her cheekbone.

However, the blood that the demon had released had an opposite effect then what the owner intended. He did not know that she was of Ancient blood, and therefore, the blood burned when he tried to make a second cut. It also brought out more of Kayura's true power.

"Monster from the Demon world, I know who you are now. I invoke thy name, Kain, and banish you from me! Be gone!!" She spread her arms, her eyes unseeing as they were filled with her powers light. However, an alternate source filled her in on what she might have missed.

Gold light streamed forth from her fingers and an in-human screech filled the darkened room. For a brief instant, Kayura was able to "see" Kain, and she shivered slightly at what he looked like. He was dark, darker than Talpa had ever been and so Kain's skin was darker. He bared his teeth at her as she banished him, showing off his ever-present bloodstained teeth and claws that he kept sharp on his fingers were clamped over his ears in an attempt to ward off the incantation.

He also had a small crown on his head. It was a token to warrant that he had been a prince on Ge-kai, along with his brother, Uchai. The brothers had often spread their hatred and malice throughout the three known worlds together…for one of them to be acting alone now…that could only mean that Uchai had claimed their father's crown, and placed himself in charge of Ge-kai and all of its inhabitants.

"We are in for troubled times…" Kayura whispered softly to herself…

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"Kayura! Kayura, Lady Kayura, please wake up!!"  
  


Slowly, Kayura pried her eyes open and looked around the room. She could see her surroundings, and immediately recognized them as being her own bedroom. She sat up slowly and felt strong arms encircle her. It was only then that she realized she had been trembling and had been covered in a cold sweat.

Slowly, she became aware that Kale was sitting at the edge of her bed, looking at her like a brother that is concerned for a younger sister. She craned her head a little and saw Dais, looking a little grumpy and sleepy at being up during such a late hour. However, his face still showed obvious concern for her when their eyes connected. And that left…

"Sekhmet…" Kayura whispered, tears pooling in her eyes as she gripped on tighter to her brother-in-arms shirt. It was white, and clean and long, giving her plenty to grab onto and wet with her tears. "Oh Sekhmet…"

Why was she being so weepy about this? Kayura just couldn't contemplate why she was acting this way. She had had dreams before about demons invading the Youja-kai, and had never screamed out so much from her dreams that her brothers-in arms had had to run in and wake her up.

She had only seen a quick glimpse of Kain, and he wasn't really the worst demon…no, she had seen demons that had looked a lot worse, so WHY had she been so scared??

"It's all right, little one. Nothing can harm you here…we won't let them…" Sekhmet tried to comfort the girl in his arms that he saw as a little sister, had seen her that way since Talpa had first brought her to the castle so many years ago.

For some reason, what Sekhmet said made Kayura cry harder, and it took several hours for her to be able to control her emotions. She was still hiccupping and wiping at stray tears as she told them what she remembered from the dream, and that Kain, obviously now proclaimed as the second-strongest demon in all three worlds since his brother had claimed the ultimate power.

It took until the sun started to rise on Youja-kai before the four were able to decide on anything. Obviously, this dream was a premonition that Kain would be coming to attack the Youja-kai. However, this had been the first dream that Kayura had received where the demon had conversed with her. Normally, the demon would only do an act of destructive nature in Kayura's dreams, so for Kain to talk to her…

The Warlords finally came to the conclusion that Kain had talked to her because he planned on killing her as his destructive act. Without much consideration on Kayura's part, the Warlords decided it would be best to send her to Mijoki, a middle planet between the Youja-kai and the Nigenkai. Not much was able to live on Mijoki and since it was so small, it was almost always passed over by any invading force. The Warlords commanded that Kayura stay there for at least a month…and that was what she did.

However, when she returned to the Youja-kai on the expected day, she didn't receive a welcoming party. Instead, she saw to her horror the heads of her three brothers-in-arms set on spikes outside the castle. After emptying her stomach's contents, she was finally able to stare up at the cruel deed that had been done to Sekhmet, Dais, and Kale. And just behind the spikes was written in blood:

Let this be a Warning to ALL who oppose Kain 

Kayura drew breath slowly into her constricted chest, and then let out the scream that would have followed just as slowly. Now was not a time to alert her enemies to her position. Instead, using the power of the Ancient, she filtered herself through the walls of the outer city boundary and inward, until she finally reached the castle.

The castle was in pieces, a mere remnant of what Talpa had strived so hard for to make his castle a place of comfort for when his body would be reunited with his spirit. The furniture was upturned, with dust settling on it already, showing it had been this was for at least a week, if not more. The tapestries on the wall were torn, burned, waterlogged, and everything else…except for being intact and unstained.

Slowly, Kayura filtered through the rest of the castle she had claimed as her and the Warlords own for the past six years. She couldn't believe that something so terrible had happened in such a short period of time.

As Kayura wandered, she came across the room Kain had claimed as his own…the bedroom that Kayura had once claimed as her own, even though Kain had transformed it to fit his own sick and twisted needs for now. She also stumbled across his next plan…to take out the resistance on Earth; those who would oppose him known as the Ronin Warriors.

Kayura spent as little time as she could locating the kanji orbs that belonged to her three brothers-in-arms before teleporting herself to Nigenkai, hoping against hope that she wouldn't be too late to save them.

She only came in time to watch as all five Ronins came back to life from a strange girl that looked like she had stepped from an ancient history book from Greece or Rome. The blast that would then send the five Ronins somewhere where she couldn't follow, threw Kayura against the wall, stunning her. The three kanji orbs that she had collected from her brothers-in-arms fell to the ground as well as Anubis's, which rolled from Kayura's pouch. When the kanji of obedience touched the other four, all of them vanished in a puff of golden light.

"No! Please, come back! You're all that I have left of them!" Kayura softly started to cry as she forced herself to stand, extending her hand and her powers toward the slowly disappearing gold trail the kanji orbs had left behind.

She was so caught up in trying to call the orbs back, that she didn't notice the strange girl was at her side. With a startled gasp from Kayura, the girl plunged the knife that was still dripping Sage's blood into Kayura's heart. Before she hit the ground, she was dead…and the strange girl chanted the poem all over again as she slowly faded out of this world.

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**PLEASE READ THIS!!!** I know, I know, lame chapter, too short. But I REALLY need your opinion on question four before I can go anywhere. Are the Ronins going to start at 14 again, with their new armors? Will they stay about 20, but travel in the future, or act like they just woke up from a dream? Or will they stay now and be dead to everyone there? That means they wouldn't be seen by Jun or Nasti, just Kayura and whoever inherits the Warlords' armor (**boys or girls, vote on that too please**)!!! Also, if you guys REALLY want me to try it, I could throw in a rebirth card…you know, having to be born again, but with ALL memories in place…or maybe no memories in place…okay, all the options are making MY head swim!! Please vote soon. I have five different beginners for this story and I want to know which one you would prefer to see! Please VOTE!!

Thanks for reading by the way, even though it was lame. I hope you enjoyed it!

Oh, and I also must apologize profusely for not updating for so long. I hope you can forgive me. I just got so caught up in my first semester at college…

Okay, I won't lay the excuses out on the table. I just hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me…


	4. Mia's Inheritance

Beginning of the End

Well, to say the least, I am a little hurt that I only got two reviews for the last chapter. I mean, I knew it wasn't the greatest, but I really hoped that more would contribute to help make up my mind. However, I'm just going to plow ahead. I'm sorry if anyone doesn't like the choices that I have made with the timeline, what is going on around them, or who will receive the other four armors.

Thanks also to Jess and to the guest that were able to review to the last chapter! I really appreciated the time you took to do so. Please note that since you were the only two that replied, I plan to make my story with your opinions mixed. Jess requested no romance and I hope to keep it that way, but I MIGHT have one of the armor bearers be a girl, just for a different flare to put in.

Anyhow, here is what I have been able to compile in my long absence from any updates. I hope you enjoy.

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"You mean a dream where all of us died in facing a demon?" Cye's voice was whispered compared to the quiet of the room but it struck a note of fear in Sage and he shivered. Slowly, he nodded agreement. Cye took a deep breath then locked eyes with the warrior of Halo. "We all had the same dream…and to tell the truth, we really don't think it was a dream after all."

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They talked lightly for a while longer, positioning themselves on the single bed and bunk bed around the room. Their talk consisted on the aspects of the dream.

They finished their discussion when Sage had broken down in silent tears, telling them a little about what he had witnessed…he had seen them all die, had felt them all leave him alone in the world. He left out the last part with the girl because exhaustion was quickly catching up with him. He also discontinued when the hidden sobs had choked his words and Rowen came to his side to try and calm the warrior of light.

Rowen, who had stood up from the floor to comfort the warrior of light that still stood by the door, looked to his friends for advice as Sage silently trembled before them all. Ryo and Cye got off the single bed, scrambling up onto the top bunk as Rowen still tried to calm Sage at the doorway.

Rowen saw that the single bed was open after a few minutes and carefully led the blond to the bed, making him sit down as he settled beside him. He whispered comforting words to the sobbing blond, telling him it was okay; he reassured the blond that everything would be all right and none of them would ever willingly leave him until the blonde's breathing evened out, showing he had fallen asleep.

Rowen looked up at his other comrades to find they were all asleep as well. Kento, who had staked out the bottom bunk for himself, was snoring slightly while Ryo was curled at the foot of the top bunk. Cye had curled up close to the headboard of the top bunk, a hand draped over the edge as he lost himself among dreams. Rowen settled back against the wall that the single bed was pressed against, allowing Sage to rest on his chest.

Rowen hummed a song from a seventies movie he had watched once about Jesus, a man that stood out in the teachings of Christianity. For some reason, the song just seemed…**right** for the situation that was presented to them right now. Slowly, he began to do more than hum as the lyrics formed on his lips and spilled forth in a rich tenor he almost couldn't believe was his own. He faltered at first, but then continued on when it felt peaceful to hear his own voice echoing around the near-silent room.

Try not to get worried 

_Try not to turn onto_

_Problems that upset you_

_Don't you know…_

_Everything's Alright_

_Yes, Everything's fine_

_And we want you to sleep well tonight_

_Let the world turn without you tonight_

Rowen hummed a few more stanzas, not knowing the words that went with the tune. As he did, he slowly stopped focusing on the concerns of the here and now. He slipped into slumber, parts of the song still flitting across his mind.

Don't you know… 

_Everything's Alright_

_Yes, Everything's fine…_

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The front door opened and shut quietly the next morning, admitting a tired and drawn looking teenager, her hair pulled from her face in a messy ponytail. Her dark green eyes closed as she struggled to suppress a yawn. After all, she had only just gotten back from her job.

She grumbled as she threw down her jacket on the living room couch. She dug into her pants and pulled out all tips she had gotten from the bar. She also pulled out a simple slip of paper that had been folded many times since she had received it. It was her first paycheck from this job, and damned if she didn't feel she deserved every penny.

She piled the money on the kitchen table, determined to count it when she had eaten something…and maybe after a nap too…yeah, a nap was definitely sounding like a good idea.

She opened the door to the refrigerator, pulling out some frozen bagel and cream cheese. While she waited for her singular bagel to toast, she wandered into the first floor bathroom, her fingers trailing on the walls of her home.

And it really was HER home. Even though she was only fourteen years old, the house belonged to hers as long as she could pay taxes. She knew she could too, what with the fortune that the nice Miss. Mia Koji had left her. She bit her lip guiltily as she scrutinized herself in front of the mirror, picking up a brush to fix her ponytail and reliving the last few years of her life.

She, Keira Milan, had been left on the doorstep of "crazy old Mia" when she was barely a year old. However, crazy didn't seem to be the right word for Mia as the eighty-year old woman had taken Keira under her wing. She had raised the young girl as her own, keeping up with the child in all of her antics. How she had loved Miss Mia and all that she had done for her…

A sound from above startled Keira from her thoughts and she looked up at the ceiling, biting her lip in confusion. She was the only one who lived in this house now, except for a few strays that she had taken on. Those strays, however, only visited her an hour before she had to leave for work and never came into the house. So who was in the Koji mansion with her now?

Curiosity getting the better of her, she came out into the kitchen, not noticing her bagels as she looked at the upstairs hallway for any intruder.

There was no one there, but another slam against the upstairs floor told her that she wasn't alone. She froze for a moment, caught between fleeing the house and calling the cops from her neighbor's home or going upstairs to investigate. Her curiosity got the better of her as she stared up into the hall from the bottom of the stairs.

She put her foot on the first stair, heard it protest her weight and almost backed off. After all, wasn't there an old saying about curiosity? Mia had tried to teach them to her, to have Keira hold onto the past and treasure it but it had been a lost cause. After all, when you have space travel, hover cars, electronic books, and three-dimensional television to entertain yourself, what else could one possibly want from the past? That's right, absolutely nothing.

She continued up the stairs, her steps still unsure but treaded softly so as to not alert her intruder. She was thankful the safe that held the fortune Mia had passed onto her was down in the basement, safe from any common criminal. Without that to help her pay the rent on this wonderful, old house, she would be forced to the streets and to turn her back on the life that Mia had given her.

She stopped at the first bedroom on her left, peering into the half-open doorway at the two messed up beds. One was adorned with a rumpled green blanket while the other had a dark blue blanket pushed to the edge of the bed. She couldn't see anyone in this room, but something made her pause with her hand still resting on the doorknob.

She remembered, vaguely, when she had stumbled into this bedroom before. Mia had found her curled up on the windowsill like a kitten, basking in the sun. However, Mia had been anything but thinking the scene was adorable. It was one of the few times Mia had ever gotten upset with her. She had forcibly dragged Keira from the room, slamming the door with a deafining bang and telling Keira to NEVER step foot in there again.

When Keira, being inquisitive, had inquired as to who had slept there before, Mia had slapped the girl across the face. Having experienced for the first time why some of the people in the city called Mia insane, Keira had put a hand to her sensitive cheek in astonishment.

Keira had tried to leave at that point, but Mia had collapsed into a puddle of sobs by the door, crying out strange names she had never heard before, but would hear again in the years she stayed with the woman. She moaned over each name, being agonizingly slow as if to apologize to that person by showing her deepest sorrow in the name.

These scenes didn't happen often, but when they did, Keira learned to leave Mia to her lonesome. They happened more frequently last year, up to the point when Mia finally…

A bang from the far wall of the bedroom she still stared into startled her from her thoughts. She thought briefly why anyone would go into this first bedroom when the door had been unopened since Keira had been reprimanded for it the first time. Dust covered the floor and the windowsill, but the beds…hadn't they been made the last time she had wandered in here?

She couldn't remember, nor did she want to as she heard another sound coming from the room over. If it really was a criminal trying to take her valuables, he was going about it all wrong. Making as much noise as humanly possible should be the last thing the man would want to do.

She stepped up to the door, noting that this, too, had been another room that would bring on Mia's fits of insanity. She had learned to avoid this room especially, knowing it held more memories for the elder woman than the first. However, as she still heard someone goofing around in the room, she put her hand on the doorknob and turned…

What met her eyes were five young men. Two were on the top bunk, one on the bottom bunk, and two more on the single bed. Feathers floated around the room and a torn pillow lay in the middle of the floor. The young men, who had been laughing or something about what Keira supposed was a pillow fight, went dead silent upon her arrival.

Through numb lips, Keira was able to ground out seven important words.

"What are you doing in my house?"


	5. The Bitter Truth

Beginning of the End

Hey, I updated faster this time, didn't I? I'm hoping that by updating sooner, I'll be able to keep your anger at bay. However, I do BEG you to please leave SOME reviews. They so help me when I need to know what else to write.

Jess, I must thank you again for your unending supply of comments and ideas with this story. You are my one true inspiration to continue "Beginning of the End" at all, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now, the story...

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"What are you doing in my house?"

The question, no doubt, left the five Ronin Warriors stunned. They looked the fifteen, maybe fourteen-year-old girl over. Being sure they didn't recognize her, they then puzzled over her question.

"What do you mean, your house?" Cye asked, his British accent softening the question.

"Yes, MY house. Just like it has been for the last year." The girl claimed, her snappy attitude wearing on their nerves a little. "How the hell did you get past my security anyways?"

"No, why…how are you claiming that the house WE lived in for the past six years has belonged to you for the last year?! We've never even SEEN you before!" Ryo asked, his anger getting the better of him as it escalated his voice.

"I've never seen YOU before and yes, I've lived here for the past year. Ask any of my neighbors; they'll back me up more likely than five strange young men so I suggest you leave!" Keira yelled, stomping a foot to emphasize her point.

Ryo got ready to retaliate with another comeback, but Cye calmed him down by placing a hand over his leader's mouth and restraining the raven-haired man's hands with his other hand.

"Excuse me, ma'am, we meant no offense." Cye said softly, his British accent and charm weaving through his words. He smiled at her charmingly, but she merely gave a snort of disgust.

"All right…fine." Keira said softly, throwing her hands up in resignation since none of the five men had made any move to leave. She settled herself by the door, fixing each with a glare. "Let's start from the beginning. How the hell did you get into my house in the first place?"

Although everyone noted the way Keira still referred to the house as hers, feelings were kept at bay. Rowen was the one to voice the answer to the girl's question

"We woke up in here."

"You woke up…in my house?" Keira asked incredulously, trying to clarify what the blue-haired man had just revealed. "You weren't here when I left for work at midnight…" She paused, letting them see the gap in the story.

"I'd say we woke up around two in the morning." Sage was the first to speak up after an awkward silence. "I mean, I woke up probably around two in the morning…I was in the room I normally share with Rowen when we visit Mia's home. I came into this bedroom searching for my friends…I guess this is where we fell asleep after we discussed a dream we all had."

Rowen nodded in agreement as did Cye and Kento before looking to Keira, who stared at each of them. She looked…confused and…apprehensive. Her right hand slid along her throat, grasping at something the five men could not see. She rolled the object between her thumb and forefinger until her nerves quieted and she was able to assess the situation calmly once again.

"Who…who did you say owned this house while you lived here?" Keira asked, clearing her throat when her voice caught with emotion at first.

The five men all showed different signs of unease at the question. Cye fidgeted, digging his hands into his pockets while Kento rubbed the back of his neck, face to the floor. Rowen stretched back, placing his head against the wall and looking up at the ceiling while Sage sat toward the front of the bed, his gray eyes analyzing Keira from where he sat.

Ryo looked to all his friends before speaking up, his nerves on fire. "Mia Koji. This house belongs to Mia Koji and we were her guests, to stay when we needed to and when it didn't bother Mia's studies." He bounced on the balls of his ankles, anxious for Keira's response to his answer.

Keira was silent for a few minutes, her right hand still sliding across the object at her neck occasionally. Finally, "Are you talking about the noted archaeology, mythology and history instructor from Tokyo University? THE Mia Koji who donated over half of her fortune to building up the research lab at the University?"

The five men were silent. They were stunned by Keira's answer, to say the least. Mia HAD applied for an opening position as a student's assistant in the archaeology department at Tokyo University…but the Mia that Keira had described surpassed even Mia's dreams that she had for the future.

Kento answered this round. "No, we're talking about the Mia Koji who inherited this house and her fortune from her grandfather after he died. We're talking about the Mia Koji who expanded her fortune by writing a novel about five mystical armors and the boys that wielded them as they fought off an evil demon emperor. We're talking about Mia, who planned to take a job as a student assistant in Tokyo University this Fall Semester."

Kento paused, counting through Mia's other feats, leaving out ones that would reveal who they were, but making sure he made it clear which Mia Koji he meant. He couldn't believe there was another Mia that had done so many wondrous things; things that Mia had planned for her future, but had yet to attain.

When Kento finally looked up from his contemplation, he saw Keira just outside the room. She was walking back in, a photo album and four novels in hand. She laid down the first novel, "Kanji Go", The Five Kanji. The cover was decorated with the five symbols wrought in each of the five armors, with the symbol for Inferno in the middle. Their colors blended together perfectly, making a wonderful myriad for the eye.

All five men nodded in recognition, knowing the book well. Each of them had poured part of his soul into creating that single novel and each had reveled in the fact that it had become an instant hit throughout the world.

Keira laid down the second novel she held. It was titled, "Ashi Kumori", Evil Shadows. The five men crowded closer, having never seen this novel in its finished form before. They had seen the final copy, but had never seen it published. When had Mia done this?

The cover was mostly black, with blood-red eyes at the top, staring out as if to swallow the reader into the story. In the middle of the cover, barely discernable, was five pinpricks of light, the Japanese symbol for each of their armors etched in fine marksmanship on each orb.

Keira laid down the third novel she held, which was titled, "Chikara Faita", Powerful Fighter. The novel was adorned by the new Inferno Armor, gifted to them just before their twentieth birthday by a lady that had strange ideas, a strange attitude…and a strange sense of what the future held for the Ronin Warriors.

"I never knew Mia had started a third novel." Rowen said softly, running a finger over the last word. The four other men nodded in agreement while Keira chewed her lip in thought.

After a moment's hesitation, she laid down the last novel that she held…"Yakume, Meiyo…Takai".

"Duty, Honor and Death." Keira read the title aloud, bringing finality to the words written. If she hadn't said them, the five young men probably would have never believed what lay before them as blatant truth.

Keira didn't wait for them to get over their shock. Instead, she pushed the photo album forward, flipping it open to the first page. On the first page rested a photograph Mia had once shown the five of them. It was when she was younger and her grandfather held her in his arms.

"Is this the Mia Koji that you speak so highly?" Keira said, forcing herself to her feet so that she could detach herself from the album. It held many memories…more so for Mia than they did for her, but those memories still existed.

Slowly, the five men nodded in agreement. The young girl in the photograph before them was their Mia.

"Why do you show us these things?" Sage asked, never removing his eyes from Mia's laughing face. He wanted that happiness and joy to be remembered forever. He thought back to the dream he had…the dream where he was the last to die…"What are you going to tell us?"

Keira folded her arms and bit her lip. She worried it until it almost broke and bled under the pressure before supplying an answer.

"The Mia Koji you know…The Mia Koji that I knew for the last thirteen years of my life…she died last year in her sleep at ninety-three years of age. The University honored her memory by adding another research wing to the archaeology department. Her name is well known to any student at the University. They also know about her supposed granddaughter who inherited her house and fortune when she died." Keira paused after stating this before continuing. "I am that supposed granddaughter, but I have no blood relation to Miss Koji. I was abandoned on her front stoop when she was eighty-years old."

She watched the five young men as they continued to stare at the picture of little Mia, laughing and holding her grandfather's hand…she was forever frozen in time that way and with a pain in her heart, Keira realized she still missed the motherly-figure.

Keira looked up from her own contemplations when she heard the sound of a page turning. Ryo had flipped the first page of the album over, opening to a page that held six different pictures. Each showed Mia a little older from before and helping her father in his lab at some different task. Keira smiled, remembering when she used to look at this album, snuggled in Mia's tight embrace.

She knew the next few pictures by heart: Mia blowing out eighteen candles on her birthday cake; Mia out in the family cemetery, crying silently by her parent's gravestones; Mia fishing with her grandfather; Mia caught with a rice ball half in her mouth as she completed research on the computer…

Keira had seen the other photos afterwards, but had never told Mia. Mia had always grown sad over those pictures and preferred to not dwell on them. The first photo showed Mia kneeling by her grandfather's grave, a strange boy with raven hair by her side. Another photo showed Mia at a birthday party with the raven-haired boy when he was older. Beside the two in the picture was a boy with auburn hair, a boy with blue hair and startling blue eyes and another, heavier boy with ash-blue hair and an orange bandana. A ten-year-old boy lounged in front with a Siberian tiger.

Another photo was taken in New York City with Mia and the five boys from before, but now a blond with gray eyes that was the same age as four of the other boys with him. He was unhealthily thin, but a smile graced his lips as if to say, 'don't worry about me, I'll be fine.'

The last photo that Keira remembered showed Mia and only Mia. Tears streamed down her face as she turned her face heavenwards to ask why. Before her were five new graves, each etched with a name Keira had memorized.

'Sanada, Ryo…Hashiba, Touma…Rei Faun, Shuu…Date, Seiji…Mouri, Shin…' The names ran through her mind's eye as she remembered the picture. Instinctively, her hand flew to the necklace that dangled around her throat.

It was a beautiful thing, a small, yellow orb that hung from a delicate necklace. It was the one thing that Mia had left her outside of the house and the fortune. It had been found by Mia when she was over sixty years old and given to Keira as a birthday present when she had become twelve. Mia had claimed that the little treasure had "suited" her and she should always keep it with her.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, she saw the five young men staring in disbelief at the last picture. They had recognized the five names on the gravestones. With a sudden wave of stupidity, Keira knew why the five men looked familiar. They were the five boys from the picture…they were the five boys with their names listed on the gravestones…they were the five boys that Mia had missed so terribly and tried to preserve them by never going near the rooms they had stayed in.

The album was slammed shut, with the raven-haired man leaning all his weight on it. Tears brimmed in his cerulean eyes and the hand he had resting over the photo album tightened into a fist before slamming it against the cover.

"This can't be real!" The man shouted as he squeezed his eyes shut against his tears. They dripped past his guard and spattered gently onto the photo album. The other four young men averted their eyes, looking anywhere but at the truth that glared at them from the closed book of memories.

"It's real. If I'm correct…all five of you have been dea…missing for the last sixty years. If you want…there's more proof out back." The five men looked up at her, unsure what she was talking about. She turned and left the room, not having the heart to look at her "grandmother's" ghosts.

When she heard them slowly get up and follow her, their bare feet padding down the stairs after her, she went to the door. She pulled on a new spring jacket, slipped into the only pair of slippers that waited at the door, and headed outside.

When she got outside, she turned to the right of the house. She followed a path that was well worn to the place that Mia had visited constantly when she missed those from her past. In the last year, Keira had gone to the place often. She cleaned off the nine graves that often were over-grown with weeds and had wild animals feeding off the flowers that she planted in memory. She watered the plants and sometimes, when life seemed to get really ugly, she would talk to the nine there. She knew it was foolish and would only reward her with a strange reputation and bitter memories, but at least she could be comforted for the time.

Keira stepped up to the newest of the nine graves, wiping some stray leaves from the nameplate as she smiled. "Hey, Grandma. It's me. I've just been missing you recently, so I thought I'd stop by…say hi…"

Keira trailed off, running a hand over the carved name as she watched the five boys enter the graveyard with reverence. This was not the first time that they had been here…

But could she honestly believe that they were the five young men Mia had loved so dearly when she was younger?

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Well…does Keira believe them? Any interesting ideas out there? Sorry to say it, but I'm running on empty. However, hope you enjoyed the story! Thanks for reading!


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